Please check out this post about how to find a literary agent, since a query letter is not the only way of going about it. But chances are you will at some point have to sit down and write one of these beastly missives. Here's how you do it.What to Know Before You Start

A query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. (Don't worry, you won't catch fire and die during the query process though it may feel precisely like that at times). In essence: it is a letter describing your project.

The first thing to know about writing query letters is that there are as many opinions out on the Internet about query letters as there are, well, opinions on the Internet. You will find lots of dos and don'ts and peeves and strategies and formulas. The important thing to remember about this is that everyone is wrong except for me. (Just kidding. The important thing to remember is that you will need to choose the ideas that work best for you).

As the immortal Douglas Adams said, don't panic! Write the best letter you can, be yourself, don't overthink it too much, don't sweat it if you realize the second after you sent it that you made a typo or accidentally called me Vicky. If an agent is going to get mad or reject you over something trivial like that they're probably not the type of person you'd want to work with anyway.

The second thing to do before you write the query is to research. This is because you need to do your darndest to:

1) Figure out which agents would be the right fit for your work - Three basic things to figure out: a) does the agent represent your genre, b) do they represent something too similar to your project, c) do they seem like they would be a good fit for you. The answers should be a) yes, b) no, c) yes.
2) Figure out the agent's submission procedure - Submission guidelines are like snowflakes: no two are alike. Also they melt. (Not really.) You will need to Google the agent and/or the agency in order to figure out where to send the query (it may be through the mail or via e-mail or via an online form) and what the agent wants included with the query. Follow these guidelines!
3) Include a personalized tidbit about the agent in the query to show you did your research - Personalize the query! Show the agent that you put in the time and have targeted them in your search. Mention an interview or a book they've represented or that they seem inordinately attached to the color orange.
4) Make sure they're reputable. - There are tons of scam artists out there, so do your research. No agent should charge you a fee upfront. Know your rights as an author.

If you can't find info about an agent but know they are legit, do the best you can personalizing, and send a basic query letter through the mail with a SASE. Attitudes toward e-mailed queries are changing somewhat, but chances are if you can't find an agent's e-mail address easily online it means they don't want to be found.

Once you have determined who you are querying, then it is time to write it. As I mentioned, there are tons and tons of ways of going about this, but you are in luck as I have a handy dandy mad lib to get you started. Just plug in the details of your novel into this formula and it will give you a basic query to start with. From there expand on it, personalize, and make it your own.

You are trying to accomplish two important tasks with the query:

1) You are trying to make the plot/subject of your book sound awesome
2) You are trying to show the agent that you write well

Especially for fiction I highly recommend that you try as much as possible to write the query so that it embodies the spirit of your project. If your book is funny, write a funny a query. If your book is written with beautiful lyrical prose, write your query accordingly. An agent is looking at your query to determine whether they want to read more and whether they think you can write professionally.

For nonfiction, it's very important to give a sense of your level of expertise, your platform, and how much publicity you could bring to bear in the promotion of your work.

Other things I would suggest:
- Don't go crazy with the formatting.
- Keep your query between 250-350 words.
- Keep the focus on the project you are querying about, even if you're a previously published author
- Be as specific as possible about plot details without overwhelming the agent with unnecessary detail (tricky balance, I know)
- Always include a sample of your work (5 pages is a good rule of thumb), even if the agent doesn't ask for it. No one is going to reject you for this, so this is the one place where I think it's permissible to break with submission guidelines. If you are e-mailing your query, be sure and paste this in the body of an e-mail. No attachments.

After you've sent that bad boy off, you sit back and wait for the agent to consider it. And wait. And wait some more.

Here's what's happening on an agent's end: First we print out all the queries and stack them up. Then we spread them around the room until they're a few inches deep. Next we lie down, wave our arms and legs, and make query angels.

What you want is a request for a partial or a full manuscript, in which case your query has done its job and you have moved on to the next step. If you've sent out a dozen or so queries and haven't gotten so much as a nibble, there might be something wrong with your query and you may wish to tweak it a little and give it a second look.

Bear in mind that many/most agents have a no-response-means-no policy, so if you do not hear back after a couple of months you have your answer. It is not customary to follow-up if you haven't heard back on a query. I personally try to respond to all e-mailed queries within 24-48 hours unless I'm out of the office, so if you haven't heard from me in a couple of weeks please contact me again, mention that you didn't hear from me, and include your original query.

Also please remember that agents are positively besieged with queries - you have one query you are worrying about, we have 15,000 or more to answer in a year. Keep your cool, stay calm, and be professional throughout the process.

And that's it! Query letter writing doesn't have to be a horribly frightening experience. Just remember to be professional, do your research, and keep writing in the meantime. Don't forget the 10 Commandments of the Happy Writer.

Also, there are many great resources regarding query letters out on the Internet. Writer Beware actually had a great post yesterday, and I highly recommend Janet Reid's indispensable query critique blog Query Shark. Please also share your favorite links and resources in the comments section.

Great post, but I am just curious on whether or not you should be concerned with spoilers in the query.

As, on the one hand you want to entice the Agent, and showing a twist that comes up could help with that. But on the other, wouldn't knowing a twist is coming up somewhat take away from the book if you do get that desired "send me the manuscript" response?

Many thanks for this post, Nathan. I like how you reduce the fearsome task of querying into less intimidating steps. (a good illustration of your earlier post on breaking big tasks into smaller components).

Great minds must think somewhat alike. Ann Crispin from Writer Beware also posted an article on query writing.

I love it when you knowledgeable industry insiders share your information with the blog readers & followers.

Now I have to go and check all those links you included, as there are a few new ones that I might have missed.

Difficult to write, queries are (love the Yoda effect). Lately I've been writing queries or query-like summaries closer to the BEGINNING of my novel. It helps me focus where I'm going. (Oh yeah, heh-heh, does this have a plot and conflict?) Then it's not so hairy by the time I finish the novel.

I am, or course, suitably impressed with that post. The best summary ever written on the topic I feel.

But attaching those extra pages could entail some risk for the Nazi agents out there, but then again, it's self selecting. Who would want to work with an agent that ditched your query just because you provided extra info?

Yeah, exactly. If someone reads the pages and thinks, "Wow, these are incredible but this person didn't follow my submission guidelines absolutely perfectly so it's a pass" you probably don't want them as an agent. Meanwhile, if you wrote a so-so query and your pages are great you might catch someone you might not have connected with otherwise.

I must be in the minority, because I absolutely love writing query letters. The hard part (writing the novel) is over and the thrilling part (getting feedback from agents) is coming up, so I find writing the query both relaxing and exciting.

Great post. I have a next-step question. I recently had an agent ask to see my whole novel, and wasn't sure if I should send it as it is (18 chapters in separate Word files) or merge it all into one huge document. Which is better?

I have just one bit of advice to add: write a query for your project before or near the start of writing said project. True, you might throw it out later.

But it does two things for me: it gives me a chance to "sell" the work to my critters before I invest a lot of time. Also, I revamp it constantly during writing and then by the time revisions are over I've got a working draft. That way I don't put off writing the darn thing after revisions are over. (Important for me, as I'm a huge procrastinator.)

Excellent points all 'round, for MPTV lit agents/prod cos, too. Hope everyone finds and takes your detailed advice, but they'll also find a great way to procrastinate on writing and sending the query: your links and resources are extensive ~!

One thought for those of you also writing for the screen, about 'spoiling the ending' in a query or synopsis: if your ending has a twist or relies on a surprise for impact, consider how to convey it in both (a) as lean and understood a way as possible to convey what will happen without describing what happens, and (b) in a visual and emotional way that is NOT exactly like the wording in the script.

It is possible to do both in the tone of your genre, and it avoids the risk that the Reader will later get to the last pages and feel they knew all along what was coming, and counting it as less-than-fresh when it's really a side-affect of being too exact with your ending in your query or synopsis.

So rather than write "...so Cinderella and the Prince lived happily ever after." Consider "As her Evil Stepmother threatens, the Prince grows despondent, and the glass slipper beckons for her little foot, Cinderella's heart pounds as she wonders: Will 'happily' ever be in her own little corner of 'ever after'?"

Where were you last year when I was querying blindly and with excessive ignorance Nathan? Your blog it existed? It was this awesome already? I was just too lazy, too uninformed, too excited, to take the time to research this thing properly?

Fail. Thank goodness I never queried you back then. Seriously though, you give the best advice ever. I would also suggest that you look to other successful writers whom you trust. Get to know them through their blogs, and they will help you.

Forums are great but you can't believe everything you read. I actually posted my query in the WriteOnCon forums and it was getting pretty torn up by other writers ... until the same query, with one sentence slightly changed, won the WriteOnCon query contest judged by agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe. Just be careful who you listen to.

Thank you for such a wonderfully detailed, informative post. And I love the query angels idea. HaHaHaHa! I also love the picture at the top that shows the "Proper technique". I think many of us have already tried that. :)

Nathan - I've followed your blog off and on for years. You seem to want and/or choose to relate to authors and wannabe authors. I believe your intentions are good and you are sincere - you really seem to wish writers well. However, I will not kiss your butt or sugar coat my experience with literary agents.Suffice it to say, my experience has been less than stellar. I have followed your guidelines, (although I've never subbed to you), and the guidelines of every single agent I've queried - and they have been many. I've done my research, my homework so to speak, and carefully crafted my queries and my submissions.At best, I've received NO response. At worst I've been treated with the utmost rudeness. I am not a demanding person, nor do I feel entitled to representation. I don't think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm realistic about my ability as a writer and my potential. You can post about guidelines all you want, but from what I can tell, for an unknown author, it's a catch 22. Publishers aren't interested in unagented submissions. Agents aren't especially interested in unknown authors. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw. Sometimes it's who you know.More than that...it's a mystery.

I'm very sorry you've had frustrating experiences, but I would urge you to look again and again at the post It's Not You, It's the Odds, which could also be rewritten to read, "It's Not Agents, It's the Odds."

The truth is that while of course there are some bad apples, agents are really just doing the best they can with a herculean task. There are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of novels out there, every other wants individualized attention, everyone wants their manuscript to make it through, and it's just not always possible.

Agents are very very very interested in finding projects they can sell, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone has the time or inclination to respond to every query they receive. I respond because I feel like it's the right thing to do but I'm not going to lie, it's a monumental task to stay on top of queries. For agents who already have a roster full of clients, queries simply aren't always a priority (and if you were one of those clients that's exactly how you'd want it).

I wish there were a formula for finding publication, but there just isn't. It's a frustrating and uncertain process on the best of days. All you can do as an author is to just keep plugging away.

Query Shark is a great place to see what works and what doesn't. But you're not likely to see your own work critted by Janet any time soon, if at all. For a fast turn at having your query critted, try Evil Editor's blog. There are also over 800 critted queries on his site to learn from. The man does have a wicked sense of humor and pulls no punches, so you also get the benefit of learning to develop thick writer hide.

Nathan, thanks for the personal response. I am published with several e-pubs. Reader and reviewer responses to my books have been good, very good, actually. After banging my head against a wall for two years - i.e. - the mainstream publishing world, I took another route. I won't lie and say 'up your nose with a rubber hose' when it comes to my desire for that big publishing contract...I do care. But as time goes on, I care less.Again, thanks.

"Here's what's happening on an agent's end: First we print out all the queries and stack them up. Then we spread them around the room until they're a few inches deep. Next we lie down, wave our arms and legs, and make query angels."

I know there's lots of conflicting advice about writing the queries, but what do you do when you have conflicting information about agents? I'm refering to basic information to get you started, like what genre that agent reps (I'm looking at you Query Tracker). I love agents who specify what they rep on their websites, and would consider that the most reliable, but not all do.

So which of your sources (QT, AQ, etc) would you say is most reliable? And if it says they rep MG in one place, but not another, would you be safe in assuming they do?

In other words and in all seriousness- I am really sick right now so I just hope I say this right.

Mr. Bransford- thank you.

Especially for those 10 Commandments. I have referred to them often, especially since I started to suspect this whole querying/agent search thing just isn't for me. I'm not cut out for it. Thanks for helping me realize that early on- I am grateful.

I've realized I'm meant to be a hermit writer- and that's okay. Why? Because I will likely never develop the skin 'tough enough' to make it in 'this business' and that's okay.

I want to be happy more than I want to be published.

That's not 'giving up'. That's not 'lack of persistence' though some may call it that. It's making an informed decision based on what you know of yourself- and that's the best any of us can do.

Life is just too short to do it any other way, you know? I didn't fight through five surgeries to get my sight back to spend it agonizing over queries (or agent blogs. This is the only one I really read anymore and will keep reading.)

I got it back to see sunsets, my kid's smile. To see Disney World, and fireworks again. To read stories and write them.

So that's what I'm going to do, and your blog has been the thing that really helped me the most- of all the information out there online- in this year long journey coming to that conclusion.

That said... Today's blog is great, but reading the comments, especially the folks who had bad querying experiences, really beats my confidence into a sticky paste. My desire to get published is high, but my expectations are low it will happen.... Even loaded with all this info the thought of the querying process is terrifying. Still, I'm going to do it and know that if no one asks to read my manuscript it won't be because I wasn't prepared.

Nathan,How much does location matter in selecting agents to send your queries to? I realize that this might sound silly in the internet age, but seriously - is there an advantage to choosing agents who are situated somewhere close at hand? Or is is completely irrelevant?

The little picture of the person banging his head- exactly what a query letter does to you. But I think it also makes you really think what your book is about and maybe make your story better. Thanks the more help we can get with query letters the better.

As ever I am really struck by how different things are in the States from here in the UK, where you always send out a synopsis and sample with the very first query. It must be so much more daunting not having any of the book itself to include in the query but still having to convey its tone perfectly.

My new seeking representation/querying strategy is akin to dating (which thank the lord I don't have to do anymore): Present my best, most authentic but polished self...and if they don't like it, they're not right for me anyway!

I tend to overwrite. Everything. I remember reading that post about keeping the query between 250-350 words and it was a real eye-opener for me. I've only written practice queries, so I can't affirm this strategy has brought me success, but they were MUCH stronger after I went back and cut words and made them seem impossibly short to capture the full essence of my novel. So thanks!

I share your pain, sister. But I gotta say--2 years? Two whole years you toiled at finding an agent?

I've had two agents very enthused about my writing who still couldn't sell my novels to traditional publishers.

I have self-published, by the end of this year, two novels that went reasonably far in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and have received praise, in some cases higher praise than I ever expected.

But I've been at it--agents, non-agents and all--since my first agent took me on in 1977.

So, and I'm sure he's covered it in another post, I think all writers need to figure out who--or why--they're writing for, and why or if they want an agent.

Self-publishing, of which I'm obviously an advocate, is now a much greater and readily accessible outlet for creative writing, partly as a function of economics and partly as a function of the advent and popularity of the Kindle.

But I'm writing admittedly largely for myself, and am happy if anyone decides to read my writing. And happier if they like it.

I am not 'struggling' to be the next Jonathan Franzen...

That said, I miss my first agent especially every day, because of his encouragement and validation of my efforts. And because he read everything I sent him, thoroughly, and still managed to be encouraging until the night he died of cancer. I never sent him a query. He convinced me to try and write my first novel. He read the whole thing, not wanting to see just a sample.

He spoiled me thoroughly. I still resent having to write a query, like some love-sick kid hoping to get a girl to notice him in class. But hey, it's now the norm. Soon, maybe instead of a 250 word query, you'll be expected to send a 140-character "tweet."

If you want an agent--and want to be published by a traditional publisher because of it--you really should read and absorb Nathan's advice. Because he's not just saying stuff. He's in this business, he's been in this business, and--he is a writer "under contract."

One other tip I've received from others: look at who "agents" the writers you like, or you think you write most like.

I was in fact just about to query--and would certainly have after reading this latest blog of Nathan's--an agent who all my research, and the advice of others in the publishing business I've had the fortune of knowing, appeared the most likely successor to my relationship with Ray Puechner.

Unfortunately for me, and for writers everywhere, she just died this past week.

But I guess that's kinda my point, too. When you do get the agent who is right for you, in the words of a friend whose agent is the one who died, they become "like a member of your family."

Querying agents, I believe, is still better than having an agent you love, who dies. I'm sure her clients will do well. But I already know she's missed.

So--use Nathan's advice. Get your queries out. Now.

My favorite part of all his advice on querying, by the way: if you can't find anyone else, "query me."

It feeds into my marketing background and all the creativity that outlet provides. Just figuring out how to blurb the essence of the book cements my understanding of what I have written even further.

I like writing queries so much that I write queries for other people. I sit with their work, roll around the intent to see what it was and then find the voice they're using and put it all together.

Do you know what the best thing about a well written query is? Sometimes the work gets rejected, but there is a lot of comfort in writing a query that provoked interest in it in the first place. Even if the story is a bomb, interest in a query can reinforce a) that you're writing is worthwhile (even if it hasn't successfully carried through a novel yet) and b) that the topic must worthwhile/interesting on some level.

The wonderful thing about a query is that it can provide reaffirmation that you are on the right path even though you are currently in a deluge of "this book doesn't fit our current needs" letters.

Hey, if they liked my query, there's some potential there I can harness as long as I keep trying to wrangle it into submission. ;^)

Just read the linked piece on how to understand a rejection letter and had a flashback -- Back in the days of typewriters and White-Out, I got a form rejection from a publisher that had the beginning of a PS at the end, but which was whited out. Of course, you could still see the impressions in the paper. It read: "P.S. We're s"

I spent the next six months trying to complete the sentence. Was it "We're still laughing" or "We're stupid to be turning you down"?

I'm not exactly ready to write a book but I am planning to submit an article to Readers Digest and they specifically ask for a one page query. Would you say this process works much the same for magazine article queries? I also enjoy your blog and your advice is excellent. Thank you for the service you provide to all us fledgling writers!

This Query info really helped me to perfect my query... I think. Gah! Writing a query is definitely harder than the actual work. I'm still waiting to be Query Shark's chum to know for sure. Anyways, I have another question that's relative to writing a query. So, while I'm researching each agent, trying to get to know their taste and what they want to see in a query. Most agents don't take attachments. Basically, all of them don't.For those who wish to have a sample of the manuscript in the body of the email, how exactly do you do this?!I mean, I know I can't just copy and paste from a Word document because the margins are all screwy. What do I do to include the story, if asked, in the body of the email?Once I figure this out, I know you'll be the first I send it to, Nathan!

If I find another published work that is similar to mine in writing style, and the author is extremely successful, is it alright to compare the two works in my query letter, or will that be seen as overconfidence or conceit?

When querying a manuscript that you wish to publish under a pseudonym; would you send the query from the pseudonym, or from yourself and deal with the pen-name later? It seems self-defeating to begin a relationship with an agent without being completely open and honest...

I've been recommended to your blog countless times. I've read and reread your advice, edited my manuscript and draft query several times along the way. I just wanted to say Thank-you.

Oh, and I finally signed up to follow today. I'm trying to control my "internet research addiction". I'm hoping that actively following will cut down on the time I spend surfing instead of writing. lol

Hi Nathan, I pretty much read every post on your blog and tried to absorb as much advice I could before approaching you. I've finished my query letter for my debut multicultural YA novel (after rewriting it four or five times) and I'm wondering if you can give a critique.

Opinions are like elbows, everyone has at least two. I sent a request to my LinkedIn and Facebook communities to read the summary of my manuscript's plot. Many people responded with pitch info, a lot of which was contradictory. I hadn't asked about a pitch only the plot summary. Folks just wanted to chime in. Amongst all the well meaning advice, many told me to find your advice... which of course I already had.

I suppose the one thing I would add to your sage advice is to remember the query/pitch is being sent to a human being, bad breath and all.

Nathan, thank you for this great information. It gives me hope that I can do this, but! take my time. I love to write stories, but! I was not too sure on the synopsis or query letter. Your information is a great guide to helping someone like me...Thank you again Nathan...

I would like to thank you for this great info in your blog. (Why don't people just come right out and thank someone instead of saying "I would like to...", I'm not sure.

Anyway, what I was saying was that my coffee here at Starbucks has gotten cold while I was reading all of your useful info, and I don't think that they are going to give me a free cup if I say, "I was reading Nathan Bransford."

No, that wasn't what I was saying. I was saying "Thanks". Really. Look for me on the NY Times Best-Seller list. Not expecting to be there, but it gives you something to do, looking there. Meanwhile, I've got some queries to write, using your advice.

Great information as usual, my only question is just about the sample. In your experience, is it better to select the five or so pages from the beginning or from a particular scene you feel conveys the overall tone best? I've given this a lot of thought and both seem to have their advantages. The beginning could start to draw them in and leave them wanting more. A carefully selected scene could really grab their attention and show them how the novel will stand out.

Hi Nathan, I've been wondering lately as I continue to study query letters and editors' responses to them. You said that the voice of the query should match the voice/theme of your proposal, but I've noticed a few query letters that are deemed excellent where the voice of the letter doesn't seem to match the theme of the book...like a sarcastic/humorous query letter written for a serious crime/thriller novel. Is this "okay"? My book is "serious", but I find when I write my query letter it's rather boring, and I think of taking the laid-back humorous approach but it won't match my novel. Any advice? Thank you! :)

This my seem like a dumb question, but I am having difficulty deciding exactly what genre my book fits into best. I am not sure if it should be commercial fiction, literary fiction or women's fiction. would it be possible to get help with this?

This may seem like a dumb question, but I am not sure exactly what genre my novel best fits into. I can't decide if it is commerical fiction, literary fiction or women's fiction. Would it be possible to get help with this?

I have completed my first novel and have written it in third person omniscient with several characters and head-jumps among characters. There is also shifts between the third person POV and epistolary part (diary recordings). How do you suggest I should prepare the query letter? Should I omit some characters and only elucidate on the main protagonist? The novel is over 90000 words. Thank you. By the way, great post.

I have completed my first novel and have written it in third person omniscient with several characters and head-jumps among characters. There is also shifts between the third person POV and epistolary part (diary recordings). How do you suggest I should prepare the query letter? Should I omit some characters and only elucidate on the main protagonist? The novel is over 90000 words. Thank you. By the way, great post.

Thank you in advance for your fantastic, enjoyable tips on this godawful process. I'm scared enough to write this personal book about having a social disease, but now that I've got my courage summoned, I'll need it to get through the process of finding an agent and writing the query. I'm thrilled Google pointed me to you; you seem kind as well.

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to thank you for it (and the examples of good queries). I just sent out my first batch of queries yesterday and today. I received my first rejection a few minutes ago, but it was at least a nice rejection with some good feedback, and I am pretty confident it had nothing to do with my query.

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